Cancer patients struggling to pay fuel bills

Almost 40 per cent of cancer patients in Northern Ireland cannot afford to pay their winter fuel bills, a new report claimed today.

Many are struggling to meet financial commitments such as travel for medical appointments, with three-quarters finding themselves an average £290 (€335) worse off every month after being diagnosed with the illness, according to research.

Macmillan Cancer Support has now called on the Stormont executive in Belfast to offer victims an immediate payment of £100 (€115) to help fund heating costs.

“This will be a lifeline for many,” said Northern Ireland general manager Heather Monteverde.

The scale of the plight facing patients in Northern Ireland was revealed in a UK-wide study, carried out by the University of Bristol. Many are under serious pressure to pay household bills or buy essentials.

The self-employed and those with children are the hardest hit, according to the survey, with almost 40 per cent of patients unable to keep their homes adequately warm in winter because they cannot afford it.

More than one in 10 (11 per cent) missed a fuel payment in the past year, while over half (51 per cent) said their fuel bills increased by £18 (€21) a month after diagnosis — more than double the increase experienced by patients in the rest of the UK.

The survey revealed that 16 per cent used an unauthorised overdraft, one in 10 missed a payment on a loan or credit card and seven per cent were unable to pay their rates at least once in the year. High travel costs meant 67 per cent of patients questioned were paying £76 (€88) a month just to get to medical appointments.

Ms Monteverde said the new research confirmed that cancer came with real costs which must not be ignored and, combined with the current recession and with the as yet unknown impacts of welfare reform, the cost was hitting the most vulnerable hardest.

“By working together we’ve made great strides towards tackling cancer poverty but clearly much more remains to be done to make sure that in the future cancer patients can focus on their health and not on whether they can afford to turn on the heating.”

Even though the research found the average cost of cancer is £290 (€335) a month, many patients are hit with much higher costs.

Macmillan urged the Executive to develop a long-term plan to tackle fuel poverty as well as offering cancer patients an immediate lifeline by making a commitment to repeat the £100 (€115) payment it gave cancer patients in February last year.

PA